Coloured Me Grey (Book Two)

Chapter 20

Once we were on the rooftop terrace, Rakesh took a bottle from me, set it at his side and lit another cigarette. "Divya's mom is cool," he stated, looking at the night sky. "Did you know, that Divya is adopted?"

No, I shook my head.

"I wish Aunty had given you her talk before you whimsically decided to hang out with us."

I was certain that he sounded resentful at the end of that sentence.

"They have been through stuff. Especially Aunty. She's a single adoptive mother, people have given her hell just for existing. She had lost the love of her life, who was a girl, by the way."

So the gay ran even in the adoptive family? I wonder if that means Zara will also turn out to be -

Now is not the time, Riyaaz. Not the fucking time.

It was cool outside, the night air felt good on my face.

"So what's your deal?"

I finally looked away from him. Of course, he didn't bring me up here just to talk about Divya's mom. The dark little neighborhood laid beyond us, dimly lit up by the streetlamps placed a few feet away from each other.

"Nothing," I said, wondering what on earth Yash was dreaming about right now.

Why am I thinking about Yash's dreams? Yo, what the fuck, you creep?

"Don't give me that crap. You might be friends with Divya now, but the rest of the group? I have a feeling you are up to something. It's not your thing to be here in the midst of people who clearly dislike you every waking second of their life. "

I looked at him in shock. I mean, I know I deserve to be reminded of my place but that stung.

Maybe it did show on my face, so Rakesh put up his hands in surrender, "Just calling a spade, a spade. You can't blame me for being blunt, you know it's the truth."

I slowly nodded, taking my eyes off him, reaching out for the other bottle at my side. "Now I know why people drink."

Rakesh dragged a long puff and held it in. His nostrils flared as he exhaled the smoke. "Wanna try?" he was holding the cigarette in front of me.

Call me crazy but I took it. "Now take a drag slowly. It'll sting but be careful not to choke."

He need not have said that. I would have choked anyway.

The sharp sting of burnt tobacco hit the back of my throat first, and with my windpipe instinctively cutting off any further circulation, it shot up to burn my nose and eyes as I coughed out the smoke.

"The second and the third puffs are better, I promise."

I shook off the first fit of cough and tried another drag. The third one was better. I could actually inhale a little without coughing. The cigarette was passed back between Rakesh's fingers.

"You're not looking for trouble, are you?"

"Nope," I said taking a sip from my bottle.

"You're not hoping that Ishan will magically waltz back into your life if you stick around and they break up? Because even in the slightest possibility of them breaking up - I don't think hoping for that outcome would be a very good idea. Ishan would never be that much of a fool, plus the others will kill you this time. "

"No," it was pathetic how my voice sounded - like a whimpering, wounded animal's. "I'm not here for that. I don't know why I'm here, to be very honest with you. Divya and Nisha did invite me but I also knew how awkward it could be. And it sure is."